Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Noelle Griskey

Come on Baby, Let the Good Times Roll.

17-Across. It's on a roll: SPICY MAYO.

24-Across. Who's on a roll: STAR STUDENT.

36-Across. They're on a roll: COLOR PHOTOS.

47-Across. They're on a roll: SESAME SEEDS.

57-Across. It's on a roll: RICE PAPER.  Rice Paper is the thin edible wrapper used for wrapping spring rolls in spring rolls in Southeast Asian foods.

Let's get Rolling ...

Across:

1. Does some light cleaning: DUSTS.

6. Brief "Holy cow!": OMG.  Textspeak.

9. Rand McNally publication: ATLAS.  The Rand is also the official currency of South Africa.

14. Like much pub ale: ON TAP.

15. Dim sum bun: BAO.  Everything you ever wanted to know about these Chinese steamed buns.

16. Construction site sight: CRANE.

19. "That's just my two __": CENTS.

20. Othello's betrayer: IAGO.

21. Punk subgenre: EMO.  A crossword staple.

22. Beyond mad: IRATE.

23. Strategic game with matchsticks: NIM.  I was not familiar with this game.  Apparently it is a mathematical game in which two players take turns removing (ie, "nimming") objects from distinct heaps or piles.  On each turn, a player must remove at least one object, and may remove any number of objects provided they all come from the same heap or pile.  Depending on the version being played, the goal of the game is either to avoid taking the last object or to take the last object.  Clear as mud.

27. Vintner's fruit: GRAPE.

29. Sugar suffix: -OSE.  As in Sucrose, or Maltose.

30. Genetic messenger: RNA.  As in RiboNucleic Acid, which is a biological molecule that carries genetic information and plays crucial roles in protein synthesis, gene regulation, and various cellular processes.

31. Research assistant, informally: LAB TECH.

35. Unforeseen hiccup: SNAG.

38. Left at sea?: PORT.  Port refers to the left side of a vessel when facing forward, while starboard refers to the right side.  The term starboard comes from the Old English word for the side of the ship where the steering oar was placed (the "steer-board").  Port was the side used to tie up to the dock.

40. Wright of "Black Panther": LETITIA.  Letitia Michelle Wright (b. Oct. 31, 1993) is a Guyanese-born British actress.

41. Expert: ACE.

42. Extra periods, briefly: OTs.  As in Over Times.

43. Operating principle: CREDO.

52. Race unit: LAP.  I initially tried Leg.

53. Like farm owners: ACRED.

54. Printer spec.: DPI.  As in Dots Per Inch.

55. Angry or achy: SORE.  //  And 35-Down. Take to the sky: SOAR.

56. Negro Leagues legend Buck: O'NEIL.  Buck O'Neil (né John Jordan O'Neil, Jr.; Nov. 13, 1911 ~ Oct. 6, 2006) was a first baseman and manager for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro American Baseball League.

59. Shampoo step: RINSE.

60. Environmental prefix: ECO-.

61. Foam on un espresso: CREMA.

62. Good-sized band: OCTET.

63. Addams cousin: ITT.

64. Soup and salad: SIDES.

Down:

1. Administering medication: DOSING.

2. Disconnect, as a Bluetooth device: UNPAIR.

3. Mark of disgrace: STIGMA.

4. Part of Tuesday's dinner, maybe: TACO.

5. Asset with intel: SPY.

6. President born in Hawaii: OBAMA.  Barack Obama (b. Aug. 4, 1961) celebrated his 64th birthday earlier this month.

7. City hall leader: MAYOR.

8. Baby talk syllable: GOO.

9. Amass over time: ACCRUE.

10. Sneaker pattern: TREAD.

11. Some decorative outdoor lighting: LANTERNS.

12. Rabbit ears: ANTENNA.

13. Paris possessive: SES.  Today's French lesson.

18. Came together: MET.

22. "Crack a window, would you?": IT'S HOT.

24. Make airtight: SEAL.

25. Largest resort city in Russia: SOCHI.

26. Graffiti signature: TAG.

28. Scheme: PLOT.

32. Locked securely: BOLTED.

33. Curly lock: TRESS.

34. Clearblue alternative: EPT.  Both are home pregnancy tests.

36. Moon shape: CRESCENT.

37. Personal quirks: TICS.

38. Faux follower: PAS.  More of today's French lesson.

39. Part of NOAA: OCEANIC.  As in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  During hurricane season, we keep an almost daily look at activity in the Atlantic Ocean and Mississippi Gulf. 

42. Spanish __: OMELET.  A traditional Spanish Omelet is made with eggs, potatoes, and onions. It may also include some meats and vegetables.  The difference between a Spanish Omelet and a "regular" omelet, is that the Spanish omelet is potato based and is thick, not fluffy.  Yummers!

44. Skipped the big wedding: ELOPED.

45. Response to "I bet you won't": DARE ME.

46. Works with arias: OPERAs.

48. Come to light: ARISE.

49. Official order: EDICT.

50. World Showcase theme park: EPCOT.  EPCOT is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.

51. Sputter out: DIE.

55. Garment in Hindi cinema: SARI.  A crossword staple.

56. Acapulco gold: ORO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

57. "A Life Outdoors Is a Life Well Lived" co.: REI.  REI makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  It is an acronym for Recreational Equipment Inc.

58. Mac rivals: PCs.

We're on a Roll!  Here's the Grid/

חתולה

Monday September 1, 2025 Lynn K. Watson and Katie Hale

  

Happy Labor Day, everyone! sumdaze here. Today's puzzle is a Lynn K. Watson and Katie Hale collaboration. This is Lynn's fourth LAT puzzle and her first collaboration with Katie, whom we know as the assistant crossword editor for the LAT. 

Theme:        CSO to C.C.  

An early peek at the grid explains it all:  

17 Across. *Grinning creature in Wonderland: CHESHIRE CAT.  

I bought this Coffee Cup the last time I visited Disneyland.
It is oversized so I use it for soup.

29 Across. *Only "Friends" star never nominated for an Emmy during the show's run: COURTENEY COX.  I did not realize she spelled her name that way.

She might not have won and Emmy but she did get a star. 

Courteney with co-stars Jennifer (l.) and Lisa (r.) in Feb. 2023
at Cox's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony

48 Across. *Gingerbread shaper: COOKIE CUTTER.  This answer is a noun so no hyphen is needed. On the other hand, when used as an adjective as in "COOKIE-CUTTER houses", Merriam-Webster calls for a hyphen.  

65 Across. *"A Chorus Line" event: CASTING CALL.  A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater. It follows 17 dancers auditioning for spots.

The reveal is the last Across clue:

73 Across. "Oui! Oui!" in Oaxaca, and a phonetic description of the answers to the starred clues: SÍ! SÍ!.  

A French "Yes! Yes!" becomes a Spanish "SÍ! SÍ!" in Oaxaca, Mexico.  

The reveal tells us that each of the four starred clues is a two-word answer where both words begin with the letter C. Note that it specifies, "a phonetic description". Works for me! 

This is the cover of the 10th studio album by the British band, Madness (2012).
Ska fans can click here for a 4 min. video
about how the album was named plus more background.

Next we will look at the other Crossword Clues:

Across:

1. Life line location: PALM.  Coincidentally, last Wednesday's 1-A was PALMS.

Scientists call the lines on our PALM palmar flexion creases. They begin to form around the 12th week of gestation. They help the skin in our hands squeeze and stretch. 

5. Touches on an edge: ABUTS.  The two U.S. states with the most shared borders are Tennessee and Missouri. They each ABUT eight other states, including each other, sometimes leading to a Cultural Clash.  

10. Outfit for a lazy day at home, for short: PJS.

13. Chemistry test subject?: ACID.  I liked this play on ACID test.

14. Tropical verandas: LANAIS.     and     28-Across. Tropical garland: LEI.

16. Weeding tool: HOE.  Using one might turn up a Creepy Crawler.

19. Monogram on a Libre perfume bottle: YSL.  I was not familiar with this perfume but this monogram shows up frequently in crossword puzzles so I gave it a try.

20. Japanese pond fish: KOI.  6 Interesting Facts about KOI fish on PetMD

21. James of jazz: ETTA.

22. Tiny bit: MORSEL.  Did you ever notice the bag says MORSELs, not "chips"?  

Chocolate Chips

24. Whale locator: SONAR.  Captains use SONAR to locate whales for whale watching trips.  

26. "Uh ... ": ERM ....  a Communication Crisis???

34. Eases off: ABATES.

37. Half a laugh: HEE.

38. "Big Blue" tech co.: IBM.  This clue is a bit too close to 67-Down.

39. Classic Battleship game piece: CRUISER.  

41. "You look just like me!": TWINSIE.  

44. Dah's partner: DIT.  This clue refers to Morse Code. When expressed as sounds or light, they are DITs and dahs but are written as a series of dots and dashes. The duration of a dah is three times the duration of a DIT.  

45. Queen guitarist Brian: MAY.  Sir Brian Harold May was born July 19, 1947.  

Queen   ~   Keep Yourself Alive  ~   1973

(May is playing on stage left.)

<BTW, this video is brought to you through a Creative Commons license.>

47. Strong blackjack hand: ACE-TEN.  

10 + 11 = 21

52. Golfer's goal: PAR.  an admirable alliterative allusion

53. __-friendly: ECO.  

54. Monopoly surface: BOARD.

58. Zigzag on skis: SLALOM.

61. "Lonely Boy" singer Paul: ANKA.  He also composed Johnny's Theme, the theme song for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.  

63. Member of a slapstick trio: MOE.  a CSO to C-Moe!  

inspirations for many a Class Clown

64. Part of mpg: PER.  Miles PER Gallon

68. Have breakfast: EAT.  

69. Hand-to-hand combat style: KARATE.

70. Texter's "Or ... ": OTOH.  On The Other Hand ...  

Or, as they say in the KARATE dojo, OTOH2H.

71. Items in jewel cases: CDS.  Here we have a case of intentional misdirection. The plastic cases that CDs come in are called jewel cases or sometimes jewel boxes.  

If you put it in the fridge, you will have a Cold Case. (ba dum tss!)

72. Muscle-bone connector: SINEW.

Down:

1. Prepares for a trip: PACKS.  

2. Sneeze sound: ACHOO.

3. Hit snooze, perhaps: LIE IN.  

4. Health care pros: MDS.  An abbreviated clue hints at an abbreviated answer.

5. Fluttered down to a perch, say: ALIT.

6. Negotiate a trade: BARTER.

7. Dig up: UNEARTH.  

8. Tic __: mint brand: TAC.  Do you remember these commercials telling us that one Tic Tac had only two calories? It was a Madison Ave. miss. I always wondered:  (1.) They are so tiny, what do you expect? (2.) Who eats just one? and (3.) Are people concerned about gaining weight from breath mints?

9. "The King and I" kingdom: SIAM.  This story takes place in Siam during the early 1860s. Siam first changed its name to Thailand on June 5, 1939, changed it back in 1945, then became Thailand permanently on May 11, 1949.

10. Stephen Hawking, for one: PHYSICIST.  Stephen William Hawking (1942 - 2018) wrote A Brief History of Time. It was on the Sunday Times bestseller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks.

11. "Feliz Navidad" singer Feliciano: JOSÉ.  José will turn 80 years old in nine days. Feliz cumpleaños, José!

12. Put on the market: SELL.  

15. Winter wrap: STOLE.  

I bought one of these with my Credit Card but someone STOLE it.

18. Epic protagonists: HEROES.

23. "Video Games" singer Lana Del __: REY.

25. Start of a play: ACT I.

27. "Nice to __ you": MEET.  

30. "I can help": USE ME.

31. Starting to learn: NEW AT.  It could not be "NEW to" because "to" is in the clue.

32. Theater award: OBIE.  Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards bestowed by The Village Voice newspaper for certain productions in New York City.

33. Marvel Comics mutants: X-MEN.  

The Caped Crusader (Batman) is in a different universe.

34. Band with a thunderbolt in its logo: AC⚡DC.

35. Pizzazz: BRIO.  Def.:  (noun) enthusiastic vigor; vivacity, verve.

36. Spark plugs, wiper blades, etc.: AUTO PARTS.  👍👍

40. The Indy 500, e.g.: RACE.

42. Swelling reducer: ICE BAG.  In movies, they use a bag of frozen peas.  

43. Wolfe of detective fiction: NERO.

46. Mexican peninsula: YUCATAN.  

49. "House" actor Penn: KAL.  his IMDb page

50. Self-congratulatory cheer: I ROCK.

51. This evening, in ads: TONITE.  

55. Valued violin: AMATI.

56. Candies that resemble lampshades: ROLOS.  Lampshades and ROLOS have the shape of a conical frustum (also called a truncated cone).

(Click to enlarge.)

57. Indian metropolis: DELHI.  The weather forecast for Delhi today is 84°F/76°F (28.8°C/24.4°C) with periods of rain.

58. On __: without a contract: SPEC.

59. Main role: LEAD.  think "theater"

60. Barnyard bleats: MAAS.  

These goats are helping to clear potentially flammable brush.
I was fortunate to see similar working goats on my bike ride last Thursday,
 along with two Great Pyrenees dogs!
Their mouths were too full to say MAA.

62. More than guessed: KNEW.

66. __ Lanka: SRI.  Colombo, Sri Lanka is 1,490 mi. (2,398 km.), as the plane flies, from Delhi, India.

67. Businesses: Abbr.: COS.  Companies (Some, like IBM, are Cash Cows.)

We had a bit of a theater mini-theme with CASTING CALL, ACT I, OBIE, and LEAD so I will add some Closing Credits.  

I hope this puzzle is now Crystal Clear! Thank you for visiting the Crossword Corner!